Recent data from StatCounter shows that Internet Explorer has dropped below the 50% mark for Internet browser market. In August of this year IE (Internet Explorer) had a strong market lead of 51.34% but by the end of September has sunk to 49.87%. The browser also shows a drop of nearly 10% year over year.
This is the first time IE has fallen below the 50% mark point since 1995, and from where we sit, the glass is looking half empty. The losses that IE are taking come from the steady growth from Firefox over the past several years and the rapid gain of users by Chrome in recent months. During the month that IE sank to one of its all time lows, Firefox grew about a half percent to 31.5% while Chrome added almost a full percentage point to its share of the market.
Microsoft’s latest version of the browser, IE9, addresses common issues with the IE experience, including speed and compliance with web standards – the issues that caused the browser to lose users in the first place. Although IE9’s upgrades make them just as capable as any other browser, it might be too late for the browser war that has been in full force around the globe for years.
Internet Explorer has been on the decline at least since the launch of Firefox in 2004.
The speed and the standards compliance should have come a long time ago when consumers began to realize that Firefox could outperform IE on every front. Its hard to be impressed with IE9 when other browsers have brought these features to the table before IE9, In the browser war IE9 is losing the game and taking a 3 point shot at the buzzer hoping that they can still win.
What you think? Can Microsoft salvage and recuperate IE? Or is Internet Explorer just a bad browser and down for the count?